Speed-changing gearing.



No. 680,825. Patented Aug. 20, 190i.

G. WESTINGHOUSE.

SPEED CHANGING GEABING.

(Application filed June 8, 1896.)

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

THE Nonms PETERS co, PNOYO-LITHL'L. WASHINGTON n. c.

, No. 680,825. Patented Aug. 20, I901.

G. WESTINGHOUSE. SPEED CHANGING GEARIMG.

(Application filed June 8, 1896.\

(No Mod 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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a, i enonen WESTINGHOUSE, on rrrrsnune, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPEED-CHANGING GEARENG.

SPECIFIGihTION forming part of Letters Patent No. 680,825, dated August 20, 1901. Application filed June 8,1896. Serial No- 594,654. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE,

'a citizen of the United States, residing in Pittstary motion to shafts and axles.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and efficient means whereby the speed of rotation of a shaft or axle may be made equal to the speed of rotation of another shaft or axle to which it is connected or may be made to have either a greater or less speed than such other shaft or axle with a corresponding, but inverse, variation of torque.

My invention is particularly well adapted for use in cases where it is desired to start a vehicle or machinesuch, for example, as a liftingcrane-under load by means of a source of power having approximately constant speed and constant torque. It is possible by means of mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention to apply to the machine or vehicle to be started under load a torque greatly in excess of that applied to the shaft, which is directly actuated by the source of power, the speed, of course, being correspondingly reduced. It is also adapted to and may be employed for securing an acceleration of speed with a corresponding reduction in torque whenever the conditions of working warrant or demand such a utilization of power.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view of my speed-changing gear, mainly in longitudinal section on line w w of Fig. 3, but partially in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a sectional detail view of a modification; and. Fig. 3 is a view, partially in end elevation and partially in transverse section, of the speedchanging gear.

The details of construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 are as follows: 1 is a rotatable body, which in the present instance is shown as a shaft, but which in certain relations would be the axle of a vehicle, and 2 is a bedplate provided with a suitable bearing block or standard 2" for the shaft 1.

3 is a belt-pulley keyed to the shaft 1, this device being shown as indicative of means for transmitting power to or from the shaft and of course might be a gear-Wheel or other device suitable for this purpose.

3 is a collar on the shaft 1 adjacent to the part 2.

4 is a sleeve orhollow shaft which surrounds the shaft 1, so as to turn independently thereof when the two are not locked to rotate together. This sleeve or hollow shaft 4 has keyed to it a belt;pulley 5, which is also indicative of any suitable device for transmitting power to or from such sleeve 4.

6 is acasing supported upon the base-plate 2 by means of the standard 7. The latter is preferably provided with a set of bearing-rollers 8 for the sleeve 4, but a different kind of bearing may be employed, if desired. The

sleeve 4 obviously constitutes one of the bearings for the shaft 1 when the two rotate at different speeds, and both the sleeve and shaft are supported, the one directly and the other indirectly, by the rollers 8, their housing, the standard 7 and the base-plate 2. The sleeve 4 is provided at one end with a pinion '9, either formed integral with it or keyed to it. Rigidly mounted upon the corresponding end of the shaft 1 and adjacent to the pinion 9 is ahead 10. This head 10 is provided with a plurality of inwardly-projecting studs or posts 11, four of such studs or posts being employed in the structure illustrated in the drawings. The invention is, however, not limited as regards the number of these parts. A gear-wheel 12 is mounted upon each of these studs or posts 11, a series of bearingrollers 13, held in a suitable cage orframe 14, being interposed between the gear-wheel and the post. Any other suitable form of bearing may be employed, if desired. The gearwheels 12 and their bearing-studs are so mounted upon the head 10 that the former will mesh with the pinion 9. An annulus 15 is mounted in the casing 6 and is of such diameter as to fit loosely therein, the internal periphery of the casing constituting a oircumferential bearing for the external periphery of the annulus. This annulus 15 is provided withinternal gear-teeth which mesh with the teeth of the gear-Wheels 12, and its external periphery is provided with a series of notches 16, the purpose of which will be hereinafter specified. The annulus is extended laterally beyond the internal gear teeth and the notches 16 and is provided with a plurality of annular metal plates 17. The head lOis provided with an equal number of similar metal plates 18, which alternate with and extend between the metal plates 17. A thick annular plate 19, which is not connected to either the head or annulus, surrounds the head adjacent to the sets of plates above described. A plurality of levers 20, four being employed in the present instance, are pivoted to the head 10 at points between the gearwheels 12; The shaft-arms of thelevers 20 extend over the ring 19, and stifi coiled'springs 21 are interposed between the ends of the long arms of the levers and the head 10, thusnormally pressing the plates 17 and 18 together. A short cylinder 22 isprovided inthe end of the casing 6, and in this cylinder is a hollow piston 23-, the inner edge of which-rests against the extreme ends of the long armsof thelevers 20. A screw-threaded socket 24: for thereception of the end'of an air-pipe is connected.

with the cylinder 22 by meapsof a small opening 25; The upper portion of the casing 6 is provided with two air-cylinders 27, in which are located pistons 28-, each of these-pistons being provided. with a. stem or rod 29. A double locking-dog 30 is pivoted in the upper portion of the casing 16 and provided with an upwardly-projectinglug 31, which is located between and in engagement with the inner ends of the stems or rods 29. These stemsor rods are normally pressed inwardly toward eachvother by. means of coiled springs 32 in order to hold the dog 30 in and return it toaccording to the direction in which the shafts are to rotate, the dog 30 will be rocked into engagement with the adjacent notch 16in the annulus 15, thus locking the annulus against movement. At the same time air is admitted into the cylinder 22, which forces the piston 23-against the ends of the long armsof the levers20, overcomes the action of the springs 21, and-thus removes the pressure fromthe plates 17 and 18; The head 10'is then free to rotate independently of'the annulus 15, and

the power applied to the pulleyv 5and sleeve- 4 will be transmitted by means of the pinion 9, the lntermediate gear-wheels 12, and the head 10 to the shaft 1 and pulley 3. The speed of the shaft 1 and pulley 3 will, however, be materially less than that of the pulley 5 and sleeve 4, the ratio of reduction depending upon the relative sizes of the gears employed. With this reduction in speed there will obviously be an increase in thetorque, which are the conditions ordinarily desired in starting a shaft or axle under load. When the desired speed is attained, the air may be exhausted from the cylinders 22 and 27, and the parts will automatically return to the several positions indicated in the drawings. If it is desired under any circumstances, however, to secure for a limited time a greater speed with lesser torque, it may be done by applying the power to the pulley 3 and transmitting it from the pulley 5.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 3 the end thrust upon the shaft 1, exerted by the air-pressure in the cylinder 22, is taken by the collar 3 and the bearing-block 2 In the modification shown in Fig. 2 the cylinder 22 is provided with a'supplemental piston 33, which is connected to the shaft 1 by means of arod 34, which extends through the piston 23. By means of this construction the pressure of the air introduced between the pistons 23 and 33 will be exerted against both pistons and there will therefore be no tendency to move the shaft 1 longitudinally tion of the parts may be such that the two shafts will rotate at different speeds, in which case the application of air-pressure willserve to lock the-parts instead of acting torelease them.

Other means than compressed air-such, for-example, as electromagnetic energym ay also be employed for actuatin g the clutch and locking-dog, if desired.

VV-hile I have illustrated and described specific mechanism for carrying out my invention, I desireit to be understood that variations maybe made therein other than those specified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Iclaimas my invention 1. The combination with two rotatable members and speed-changing gearing intermediate the same, of two sets of clutchingdevices having springs that act simultaneously to insure rotation of said members at the same speed and means for applying fluid-pressure to said two sets of clutching devices simultaneously to overcome the action of said springs and insure rotation of said members at different speeds.

2; Aspeed-changing gear comprisingtwo rotatable shafts, gearing connecting said shafts, two sets'of adjustable clutching devices having springs for normally holding the respective devices in looking and in releasing positions. and means for applying fluidpressure to simultaneously-overcome the ac tion of said springs.

3. The combination with a rotatable shaft, and a sleeve loosely mounted thereon, of a head keyed to said shaft, a pinion on said sleeve, an internally-toothed gear-wheel j ournaled independently of said shaft and sleeve, intermediate gear-Wheels mounted upon said head and meshing with said pinion and said internally-toothed wheel, and means operated by springs for clutching and by fluid-pressure for unclutching said head and said internallytoothed wheel.

4. The combination With a shaft and a sleevemounted and rotatable thereon, ahead rigidly mounted on said shaft, speed-changing gearing between said head and said sleeve, a spring-actuated friction-clutch normally locking said gearing and clutch-releasing means operated by fluid-pressure to overcome the spring action and thereby permit of the rotation of the shaft and sleeve at different speeds.

5. The combination with a shaft and a sleeve rotatably mounted thereon and provided with a pinion, of an internally-toothed gearwvheel, a head keyed to said shaft and provided with a plurality of intermediate gear-wheels meshing with said pinion and with said internally-toothed Wheel, means actuated by spring and air pressure for locking and releasing said internallytoothed Wheel, a friction-clutch between said Wheel and the head carryingthe intermediate gear- Wheels, springs for normally holding the members of the clutch in engagement and airpressure actuated means whereby said clutch members may be separated when the shaft and sleeve are to be rotated at different speeds.

6. The combination'with an annulus provided with internal gear-teeth and external notches, a casing having a circumferential bearing for said annulus and a pivoted locking-dog, of air-cylinders and pistons normally holding said dog out of engagement with said annulus, but movable into the notches therein when the air-pressure is applied, a shaft, bearings therefor, a sleeve on said shaft, having a pinion and provided with roller-bearings, a head keyed to said shaft and provided with a plurality of bear ing-studs, gear-wheels mounted on said studs and meshing with the toothed annulus and the sleeve-pinion, a set of annular plates carried by said annulus, a similar set carried by the shaft-head and alternating with the first set, spring-actuated levers normally pressing said plates together, and an air-cylinder and piston for actuating said levers to release the clutch-plates from engagement.

7. The combination With a shaft mounted in suitable bearings, of a rotatable sleeve mounted on said shaft and provided with a pinion, an annulus concentric with said pinion and provided with internal gear-teeth, a casing surrounding said annulus and constituting the sole bearing therefor, a plurality of gear-wheels meshing with said pinion and said annulus, a support for said gear-wheels rigid with the shaft and a friction-clutch be-' tween said support and said annulus.

8. The combination with a shaft, and a loose gear-Wheel, of a second shaft having a pinion rigid therewith, a plurality of gear wheels supported from the first-mentioned shaft and gearing with said loose gear-Wheel and said pinion, a friction-clutch between the first named shaft and the loose gearwheel and means actuated by air-pressure for locking the latter when said shafts are to be rotated at different speeds.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this all day of June, A. D. 1896.

GEO. WESTINGHOUSE.

Witnesses:

WEsLEY G. CARR, HUBERT O. TENER. 

